19 June 2024
During Yad Vashem Chairman Dani Dayan's inaugural visit to Germany in January 2023, a significant meeting took place with Germany's Chancellor H.E. Olaf Scholz. The meeting included a focus on the prospect of Yad Vashem extending its expertise to establish a groundbreaking Holocaust education center, together with the assistance of local partners in Germany.
To facilitate the creation of a new center, Yad Vashem, with the support of the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media for the Federal Government of Germany, will conduct a comprehensive feasibility study in the coming months. The aim of the study is to explore various options for cooperation, identify potential challenges and address any reservations that may arise. Yad Vashem also intends to deepen contacts with relevant locations across the Federal Republic, engaging in open dialogues to further understand the diverse perspectives, ideas, and concerns related to Holocaust remembrance and education.
Over the years, Yad Vashem has signed official agreements with Germany both on the federal level, as well as with all sixteen State authorities in Germany. These agreements cover a broad spectrum of activities and initiatives, including educational seminars and workshops in both Jerusalem and Germany.
With overwhelming support from a diverse range of ministers and leaders in Germany, the proposed Yad Vashem Holocaust education center will represent a renewed German commitment towards ensuring the continuation of Holocaust remembrance and education for years to come. This educational center would mark Yad Vashem's first endeavor of its kind outside of Israel, underscoring its commitment to global Holocaust remembrance and education.
While the establishment of an education center will deepen Yad Vashem's existing partnerships and cooperation in Germany, it is crucial to emphasize that the center will not render the educational programs in Jerusalem obsolete, nor will it impede the diverse array of existing programs and activities conducted by other institutions within Germany. The primary objective of the proposed education center is to complement the existing educational and memorial landscape by using Yad Vashem's vast wealth of educational experts, methodologies and tools it has developed over many decades.
Yad Vashem Chairman Dani Dayan stated:
"Holocaust education is not only essential to remembering the atrocities of the Holocaust, it is a vital tool in fostering a more tolerant and open society. Yad Vashem remains unwavering in its commitment to offering its state-of-the-art pedagogical approach and historic expertise to institutions and government ministries charged with this important shared mission. We eagerly look forward to the opportunity to further expand our educational activities within Germany through this joint cooperation."
